Permithrin or natural repellants

audiblepidemiks · Oct 22nd, 2006, 13:20

I've seen lots of posts on here regarding insect repellant and permithrin comes up a lot. i googled it and came up with this:
http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pest...report/cox.htm
which basically says its highly toxic, as is DEET.
Has anyone had any success with lemon eucalyptus oil, Icaridin or any other kind of 'natural' repellants?

I found this
http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=105015&cat Id=100281&tid=100042&p=6&title =Test%3a+Mosquito+repellents
which list australian brands and their effectiveness, but I'm not sure if this will translate to Indian conditions.
cheers
ez

tongoka · Oct 22nd, 2006, 13:47

last time i went to india i used a mixture of essential oils, luckily it worked a dream, i shall post the recipe when i get home. however i do not think it should be used as the only precaution against mosquito bites.

Nick-H · Oct 22nd, 2006, 14:46

From your first link, it looks like we are probably getting plenty of permethrin from our food! So a little more for a couple of weeks probably won't do much harm

.

As I understand it, permethrin is used on clothes, mosquito nets etc, rather than as an insect repellent to apply to the skin. I would guess that one's absorption from sleeping under a treated net would be negligible, and from wearing treated clothes would be small. OTOH I understand that high concentration permethrin products are no longer available in many places.

I've never used it. If I could find it here, I think I would treat my net with it: it is amazing how the mossie can find the little bit of skin, like a finger or foot, that has come against the net in one's sleep.

I've seen other studies like the one in your link. can't find the bookmark just now. My impression is that the duration of effectiveness of increased DEET concentrations has a more marked difference than shown in your link. Can't claim to have a brilliant memory though... A lot of research has been done on this: carry on googling!

Autan is shown as being almost as effective as DEET: I tried it for one holiday, and found it utterly useless! This, I suspect only highlights the fact that effectiveness of repellents is a very personal thing. I'm sure it's great on some bodies: on mine it seemed like the equivalent of a 'kick me' sign

.

Notice that the effectiveness in that table drops very sharply for the natural-oil-based products. And yet, just as Autan was a complete failure for me, they (or an own-recipe) may be a complete success for someone with a different body smell.

One approach I strongly recommend against, is forgetting the repellents and just covering up with clothes. Forget it: Mossies will just bite through the clothes

. Or get your hands, fingers, face etc... The most bitten part of my body is feet and ankles.

If coming to India (or other Mossie-ridden place) for a short trip, I think the fact that you are going to use the chemical for a few weeks of the year, or perhaps even of your life, has to be set against its dangers.

Then again, the dangers of the mossie-carried diseases have also to be set against those of the chemicals...

Somebody once said that the very best mosquito repellent is to travel with someone whose taste they prefer to you

Nick-H · Oct 22nd, 2006, 14:54

And a quick PS...

Remember also that natural does not necessarily mean safe!

Some essential oils will irritate the skin, others may even be carcinogenic. I think I would take the advice of a qualified herbalist or aromatherapist as to what is safe and what concentrations can be used. make sure the aromatherapist understands that, whereas they may be putting stuff on your body monthly or weekly, you will be using it every day...

Oct 22nd, 2006, 13:20	#1
audiblepidemiks Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 10	Permithrin or natural repellants I've seen lots of posts on here regarding insect repellant and permithrin comes up a lot. i googled it and came up with this: http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pest...report/cox.htm which basically says its highly toxic, as is DEET. Has anyone had any success with lemon eucalyptus oil, Icaridin or any other kind of 'natural' repellants? I found this http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=105015&cat Id=100281&tid=100042&p=6&title =Test%3a+Mosquito+repellents which list australian brands and their effectiveness, but I'm not sure if this will translate to Indian conditions. cheers ez

Oct 22nd, 2006, 14:46	#3
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	From your first link, it looks like we are probably getting plenty of permethrin from our food! So a little more for a couple of weeks probably won't do much harm . As I understand it, permethrin is used on clothes, mosquito nets etc, rather than as an insect repellent to apply to the skin. I would guess that one's absorption from sleeping under a treated net would be negligible, and from wearing treated clothes would be small. OTOH I understand that high concentration permethrin products are no longer available in many places. I've never used it. If I could find it here, I think I would treat my net with it: it is amazing how the mossie can find the little bit of skin, like a finger or foot, that has come against the net in one's sleep. I've seen other studies like the one in your link. can't find the bookmark just now. My impression is that the duration of effectiveness of increased DEET concentrations has a more marked difference than shown in your link. Can't claim to have a brilliant memory though... A lot of research has been done on this: carry on googling! Autan is shown as being almost as effective as DEET: I tried it for one holiday, and found it utterly useless! This, I suspect only highlights the fact that effectiveness of repellents is a very personal thing. I'm sure it's great on some bodies: on mine it seemed like the equivalent of a 'kick me' sign . Notice that the effectiveness in that table drops very sharply for the natural-oil-based products. And yet, just as Autan was a complete failure for me, they (or an own-recipe) may be a complete success for someone with a different body smell. One approach I strongly recommend against, is forgetting the repellents and just covering up with clothes. Forget it: Mossies will just bite through the clothes . Or get your hands, fingers, face etc... The most bitten part of my body is feet and ankles. If coming to India (or other Mossie-ridden place) for a short trip, I think the fact that you are going to use the chemical for a few weeks of the year, or perhaps even of your life, has to be set against its dangers. Then again, the dangers of the mossie-carried diseases have also to be set against those of the chemicals... Somebody once said that the very best mosquito repellent is to travel with someone whose taste they prefer to you __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

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Oct 22nd, 2006, 13:47	#2
tongoka Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Spain Posts: 41	last time i went to india i used a mixture of essential oils, luckily it worked a dream, i shall post the recipe when i get home. however i do not think it should be used as the only precaution against mosquito bites.

Oct 22nd, 2006, 14:54	#4
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	And a quick PS... Remember also that natural does not necessarily mean safe! Some essential oils will irritate the skin, others may even be carcinogenic. I think I would take the advice of a qualified herbalist or aromatherapist as to what is safe and what concentrations can be used. make sure the aromatherapist understands that, whereas they may be putting stuff on your body monthly or weekly, you will be using it every day...

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